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Spartacus Season 2: Vengeance – Episode 4 “Empty Hands”

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It seemed like the rescue of Naevia was going very well in the last episode. They infiltrated the mines after killing the guards and disguising themselves as Romans. They even seemed to have Glaber’s troops fooled when they came searching for the rebel slaves, until Ashur had to go and ruin things for them. Now they are on the run with Naevia in hand, but absent most of the men they went in with, including Crixus who is now captive of the Romans! Along the way of escaping Spartacus will lose even more of his followers and one begs the question of whether or not Naevia was really worth the cost of so many lives. The fight scenes mingled in between all of the political machinations this episode were awesome and entertaining even though they didn’t progress the story so much. I would imagine those not interested in political maneuvering at all were probably pretty bored with the episode as a whole. I definitely enjoyed it even though it didn’t live up to the other episodes of the season.

It was pretty obvious that Agron and reinforcements were going to show up at the end when Spartacus and Mira were making their last stand, but it was a nice touch when it turned out that the approaching “Roman” soldiers were really Agron and his men. I’m hoping Nasir survives the wound he took protecting Mira in the episode because I’m really enjoying his character and how far he has come in regards to his loyalty. I have a little notion in the back of my head that he is only doing many of these things to gain Spartacus’ trust so he can get close and ultimately kill him, but his loyalty to their cause seems genuine. Especially with him wanting to be called by his Syrian name and taking a sword in the stomach for Mira, but only time will tell.

Ashur was in rare form once again in helping the Romans track the rebels. He even actually showed a little fighting prowess…. By stabbing an ex-gladiator in the back, but at least he is still willing to get his hands dirty. His decision to kill the Roman commander and retreat from Spartacus instead is probably going to be deemed as cowardly by a lot of us viewers but I think it was smarter. If Ashur was a viewer of the show he’d know like us that Spartacus was pretty much unstoppable against a squad of Roman soldiers, but as a character Ashur was able to see every victory Spartacus had in the arena up close and in person. I applaud him for knowing it was futile to fight the ex-champion of Capua. I wonder what Glaber will do to Ashur when he returns still alive but with many troops lost. He sure as hell won’t be happy.

As I said above, the political battle between Glaber and Verinius continues into this episode with Glaber being forced into hosting a party in the honor of Verinius since he kind of embarrassed him last week by having his troops pull a no-show. Very surprising to me is Illythia’s willingness to simply abandon Glaber by having her marriage dissolved and get together with Verinius. It seemed like she was always right by the side of her man but after seeing him receiving aid from Lucretia and listening to her dad talk of how great Verinius is the last couple episodes it would seem she’s more than ready to move on to greener pastures. After receiving a pretty solid yes from Verinius (you know what I’m talking about) on the stipulation that her marriage be dissolved things couldn’t be going better for Illythia. That is, until she finds Lucretia banging her dad! Lucretia claims that she did it for Illythia to convince her father to dissolve the marriage between Glaber and her, but Illythia has doubts about it.

Lucretia is back to her scheming and plotting self fully now and one wonders what she convinced Illythia’s father of while doing the nasty. It would seem after Seppia’s failed seduction of Verinius that her and Seppius’ part in the show would be over, but I think it might still linger. Glaber already planted a seed of discontent in the mind of Seppius with that comment about Verinius banging his sister and he probably won’t see past her being cast aside for Illythia. It could be that an alliance is brewing between Glaber and Seppius that will culminate against Verinius and Illythia. One must wonder where Lucretia intends to land during all of this. Honestly, I don’t think we’ve seen Glaber’s dark side at this point, even though he has done much. I would fully expect there to some major retribution coming Illythia’s way once he finds out that she plans to betray him. Who knows, once she is out of the picture (potentially.) Glaber may gain the allegiance of Seppius by taking his sister as a wife.

Overall I can’t wait to see Crixus, Oenomaus and Rashko fight in the arena once more. The scene that Lucretia had alone with Crixus for a moment was about as tension filled as it gets and I can’t help but think that he shouldn’t have told her about Naevia being alive. It would be revenge enough seeing Crixus in the arena as a hated enemy of the state but if Naevia were to be recaptured and a slave again that would be the ultimate torment to the Gaul. I give the episode 3 out of 5 grizzlies. Good but not the greatest, but it definitely had stiff competition to go up against with the brilliance of the last episode.

I’m more than ready for the coming episode as we were treated to a preview at the end of this one featuring none other than ex-champion Gannicus! There will be arena fighting and more to come so stay tuned!

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‘Spartacus’ Losing a Cast Member?!?

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Who wants a massive spoiler, possibly for this season of Spartacus? It was just too tempting for me not to read who from the show was just announced by Deadline to be signed on for the newest season of True Blood. I actually didn’t know whether or not to make this a Spartacus article or a True Blood article, but I figured I hate the hell out of True Blood, so BAM! After you read about the actor leaving, it’s not really all that big a spoiler considering that escaped slave-gladiators are not really long for this world. And if you read up on your history you’ll definitely know that the slave rebellion was ultimately put down. Here’s a little slice of IGN’s report regarding the news from Deadline:

Now Deadline is reporting news of a prominent Spartacus: Vengeance star being cast in the new upcoming season of HBO’s True Blood. Which probably means, since one show is filmed in LA and the other is filmed in New Zealand, that this person’s character is probably going to be killed off on Spartacus. Probably. Nothing’s certain, but it doesn’t look good. 

Now if you dare to be spoiled you can read after the jump. I’ll let you know its one of the people pictured above who is leaving the show….

And the winner is: OENOMAUS!

Oenomaus Peter mensah

Played by Peter Mensah, who according to Deadline will play a Vampire Authority character on the fifth season of True Blood. Ah it’s a sad day that we lose a Spartacus cast member to the fang-bangers. (Yes you Megan) But that being said I’m sure he’ll have a glorious death that he always deserved, possibly in the arena. I can see Gannicus being the one giving him this death given all of the craziness destined to go down between them. Them having to fight one another was always something Gannicus laughed off in ‘Gods of the Arena’. Seems like this time the only way out will be to kill his greatest friend. I’ll be sad to see Oenomaus go, because we’ve seen much of him revealed slowly over the three seasons of Spartacus. He’s had some of the best character development in the show if you ask me. God speed Peter Mensah!

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Spartacus Season 2: Vengeance – Episode 3 “The Greater Good”

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This was by far the best episode of the season yet, and that is pretty good for only the third episode. It would seem that Lucretia unleashing that little bit of information about Gannicus and Oenomaus’ wife Melitta happened a lot sooner than I thought, as she and Ashur worked towards gaining the location and intent of Spartacus and the other escaped slaves. I thought that Oenomaus was one of the more intriguing characters of the series, but he really doesn’t compare to the likes of Ashur.

“I call this one THE HELICOPTER!”

Ashur personifies the concept of scheming and treachery. Having said that, his loyalty is somewhat steadfast as long as the person employing him treats him well. It has already been shown that he is still loyal to Lucretia, though whether that is pure or simply a means to get revenge against Spartacus and the others remains to be seen. I don’t see him ever actually being true to the likes of Glaber. You have to wonder what Ashur’s driving force is, because it’s not likely he could rise much higher than someone’s lackey being a freed Syrian slave in Rome. Either way, he is a brilliant villain for the series and has made plenty of enemies of people who could really beat the living crap out of him. (Oenomaus and Crixus in particular.)

A statue that bleeds…

Oenomaus seems to be a broken man at this point after learning of Melitta doing the nasty with Gannicus, and bringing the poisoned wine to drink with him just before it. I would think even though he may want to see Gannicus dead, he may care a little less for long dead Quintus, and still alive Lucretia as well, especially if he finds out that Lucretia is responsible for Titus dying.

There have been some interesting developments indeed going down for the renegade slaves as well. After freeing another group of slaves being transported, Agron and Nasir interrogate one of the surviving Romans and gaining some information about Naevia, which isn’t good. After Crixus finds out that she is supposedly dead he goes into flip out mode and then mopes around quite a bit. It was actually pretty sad to see Crixus react to Naevia’s death, but as the episode wore on you could tell by the way Nasir was acting that something was amiss and when it was revealed you know things wouldn’t be good for anyone who pissed off Crixus.

Crixus LOVES Sinéad O’Connor’s “Nothing Compares 2 U”

Finally the truth comes out when Nasir admits that Agron lied about Naevia’s death because he didn’t think it was right that they were risking everyone to save one person. And so Spartacus, Crixus and Nasir strike off with a small group for the mines where Naevia is being held and Agron leads the others to Mount Vesuviusto make camp. I always liked Agron, but I was kind of disappointed to see him screw up the harmony of the group with his lies. It was good to see Nasir as such a valuable member of the group, offering to assist them at the mines, and a bit weird to think of him and Agron as…*gulp*… a couple. Of anything by the end of this episode, the comradarie seen between Crixus and Spartacus was a welcome sight, though by the looks of the ending it may have been cut short.

“Swear to God, it was THIS big”

It would seem Claudius Glaber is finally being useful without having to rely on Verinius and Seppius as he heeds Ashur and Lucretia’s advice to seek out Spartacus and the others at the mines. The scene where it alternated between the fights at the Capua arena and the slaves escaping the mine with Naevia was very well done, both musically and visually. My biggest question at this point is what in the hell will become of Crixus? I really am starting to like the big oaf. And can I just add that I absolutely cannot stand Seppius’ sister Seppia? If actress Hanna Mangan Lawrence was going for ditzy and annoying noble Roman girl then she nailed that right on the head, and is a great actress for making me despise the character after only briefly seeing her in three episodes. I give the episode 5 out of 5 grizzlies, because it was perfect. It kept me on the edge of my seat with the interrogation of Oenomaus and the rescue of Naevia the entire time and left us with an excellent cliffhanger ending. Not to mention there was plenty of action to sustain us barbaric male viewers.

“Yup, hand in the air, I was totally paying attention.”
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Spartacus: Vengeance – Episode 2 “A Place in This World”

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I’ve officially slipped right back into Spartacus mode. Any reluctance or slight misgivings I may have had about Liam McIntyre as Spartacus are now moot. The series is really picking up again and it’s as good as it once was. I thought it was a nice touch in the episode when they tied all three of the seasons together with the inclusion of a certain flashback scene.

Though the entire episode was very good, the character that stood out to me was definitely Oenomaus. We know the history of the former gladiator trainer in the House of Batiatus, that he owed much allegiance to Titus who was the father of Quintus and that he grew up in the same house as young Quintus. In this episode, as Oenomaus searches for meaning and to punish himself, we are treated to a flash back of the youth being purchased by Titus and given a purpose in life. At this point we can begin to understand why Oenomaus is so distraught over the events that occurred with the mass slaughter in the House of Batiatus. He fought for a man who gave him self worth and had to bear witness as Titus’s son tore it all down with his treachery and scheming.

The only good thing about getting to see a character I liked so much was the method of how he did so; by entering into the gladiator fights in “The Pit” which was shown to us in Season One of Spartacus as the now rebel Thracian fought from the bottom of the barrel and into the arena to become champion. The scenes make for some of the most brutal fight scenes in Spartacus yet and we are presented with a cloaked character from past seasons that many may have forgotten about.

Major Episode Spoilers Below!

The smaller parts of the story involve Lucretia snowing over Illythia and Glaber with how crazy she is, while still showing that she is capable of playing the games of deception and treachery as her husband did. The knowing smirk that Lucretia gave in the marketplace and at the end to the now revealed cloaked man I mentioned above show us that  she is a little more aware than her “guests” think. As for Glaber, he is busy trying to gain the allegiance of Seppius who is still a little sour over the death of his cousin Sextus. The two do not come to an agreement in the scene they share in the episode but something will have to come to a head soon. I’m thinking once Glaber has command of Seppius’ men he will quickly eliminate the potential threat he poses.

Crixus and Spartacus continue their search for Naevia, much to the chagrin of yet another Dominus that Crixus deals with personally. They are getting closer to finding Crixus’s wayward beauty, but also drawing more attention to themselves by attacking another villa and engaging in an unavoidable attack with Seppius’ mercenaries. I sure hope they are able to train enough newly freed slaves before they become too obvious a target for Glaber and Seppius should the two pompous asses ever ally with one another.

This can only go two ways…

So I’m going to spoil you majorly with this next part to close the review, so don’t read anymore if you haven’t seen the episode. The cloaked man in the “The Pit” who slipped Lucretia a note in the marketplace and took a weakened Oenomaus captive was none other than Ashur. He is definitely one of my favorite characters from Blood and Sand, the way he was able to manipulate so many people and rise to the top so quickly. Now that Oenomaus is captured and under the heel of Glaber, Illythia and Lucretia it will be interesting to see when Gannicus gets into the fray. It looked like he will show up some time in the season according to the trailers. Will Lucretia share the secret of his wife’s death with Oenomaus and blame it solely on Gannicus? Will she somehow manipulate him into hunting down Spartacus for her? Time will tell. I give the episode 4 out of 5 grizzlies. Rock on Spartacus!

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Spartacus: Vengeance – Episode 1 “Fugitivus”

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Two years have passed and the Starz original series Spartacus has not missed a beat. (Good thing they stayed ready with Gods of the Arena) The story picks up not too far from where Blood and Sand left off; Spartacus, Crixus and the other freed slaves are on the run and committing attacks against Romans throughout Capua. Expect to see the same gratuitous amounts of blood and slow motion as we’ve seen in the other two seasons of Spartacus. The same goes for the naked debauchery found in previous seasons. Just picture sword fighting in the middle of a Roman whorehouse! It was like vinegar strokes v.s. sword strokes for heaven’s sake!

Of course let’s get the biggest concern out-of-the-way in the form of Liam McIntyre. In case you’re a Spartacus fan who’s been living under a rock, then you’ll need to know that Mr. McIntyre has replaced the dearly departed Andy Whitfield as ‘Spartacus’ this season. I had a tough time at first watching McIntyre as our favorite gladiator, but as the episode went on he definitely looked comfortable enough in the role. If Spartacus wasn’t just focused on killing Romans and that stupid asshole Claudius Glaber, I think it may have been a tougher job for McIntyre. Seriously though, how hard is it to play a vengeful slave hell-bent on murder? I feel confident that McIntyre will definitely look more and more comfortable in the role as the episodes go on.

 I kind of thought that Spartacus and the slaves would be a roaring force to be dealt with at this point, but truth be told they are simply renegades living in the sewers of Capua, killing and stealing for food and weapons. Spartacus, though still a great leader, does not have the undying loyalty of all. The Gauls of the group still only answer to Crixus, and the relationship between him and Spartacus is a bit strained as their goals remain totally different. By the end of the episode, their motives become a little more concerted and I think the season will really be roaring along.

It was very interesting to see Lucretia back, especially considering everything she knows. Of course most of the things that are implied by her return are very predictable. Her memory will clearly come back about Ilithyia at some point during the season, and I assume she will play dumb until she can exact revenge upon her. Not before humiliating her and her husband with the knowledge of Licinia’s murder. Hopefully before all of that she let’s good ole’ Claudius know about Ilithyia banging Spartacus back in Season One.

The high point for me in this episode was by far the scene where Claudius Glaber gave his speech and presented the surviving Lucretia to the people of Capua. The whole time Spartacus was looking on from the crowd and moving closer and closer, I was on the edge of my seat hoping he would take that scumbag out. Of course he didn’t, but that was to be expected.

Now to my low point. And I don’t mean quality wise because there was not much I didn’t like about this episode. The capture and death of Aurelia was definitely a downer. After all she had been through with losing Varo in season one I had hoped that she would be reunited with her son.

But alas, this is Spartacus and not a very good place for happy endings as was evidenced in the last two seasons. I almost expected something to go wrong when Spartacus sent her along her way but I was still shocked when Claudius Glaber brought her out before the crowd. Total bummer.

Overall, I give the episode a 4 out of 5 grizzlies.

The series is back and is as good as it previously was and hopefully the premature critics of Liam McIntyre can stopping their inane babble for awhile. At least until the season gets into full swing, which it certainly has a good start on. Tune in for the next episode and definitely check this one out online from Starz before it’s Friday premiere date!

“I believe I can fly!”
POP CULTURE

In Memory of Andy Whitfield

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After visiting Deadline about an hour ago, I was saddened and dismayed to read about the passing of an actor who’s greatness was gone far too soon, and who had the potential to be even bigger than he already was. Andy Whitfield was the main lead in the Starz original series Spartacus: Blood and Sand, playing the main character of Spartacus who would rise through the ranks of the gladiators to lead a slave rebellion that would be talked about for centuries after. Whitfield owned the character of Spartacus in my eyes. He had intensity and the strong silence that made people like Clint Eastwood the icons they are today. Sadly, the non-Hodgkin Lymphoma that he was diagnosed with a couple years ago forcing to him withdraw from the role of Spartacus, claimed him today shy of 40.

I only hope that his replacement Liam McIntyre realizes the enormity of the role he inherited from one of my favorite actors in the last five years. An actor that I had hoped to see in a variety of things outside of Spartacus in the years to come. I wish Andy Whitfield’s family and friends all the best as they mourn a loss felt by his many fans. And I wish to thank Mr. Whitfield for giving us a memorable performance in his turn as Spartacus that will live on for many years.